The simple pleasure of Cutthroat Trout

[LWJ]

I spent my Sunday with my Son on a lovely small river catching Cutthroat on a fly rod.

Not sexy like Steelhead. Mostly too small to eat. Not particularly popular due to the aforementioned issues. But wow. Eager Natives on a dry fly in a pristine setting.

It just doesn’t get much better.

I just had to express my joy.

[KFC911]

That's simply awesome ! Not exactly Disneyland awesome tho' .

[Bill Douglas]

I look at random youtubes and lately I've been enjoying fly fishing ones. I've always done wet fly and nymph (not that I'm any good) but may try dry fly next. It's the off season here now but I can always practice my casting.

I don't really understand the fish as well as I should. I find I almost need to stalk them on my hands and knees. But then I see a guy standing in the middle of a river waving his arms around and reeling them in. I guess it's all about how to work a pool.

[LWJ]

Bill, aren’t you in New Zealand?

If so, that is fly fishing Mecca. Get on with it!

Oh yeah KC911, it is Disneyland awesome.

[Bill Douglas]

Originally Posted by LWJ

If so, that is fly fishing Mecca. Get on with it!

Umm.. Yes... But the fish are quite clever.

[Scott R]

Why can't I find anyone to teach me fly fishing? Is it a dark art?

[LWJ]

Scott R. It’s super simple. Especially for Cutthroat because they simply don’t care and bite everything.

Seriously. Pm me. We can have a phone call. You live in another Trout Mecca.

[KFC911]

I've never lived anywhere with cold enough water to support trout... I'm envious ! You could not PAY me enough to visit a Disney Park... even if the trout fishin' is supposed to be awesome in Orlando !

[LWJ]

KC911,

You can change “Cutthroat “ to “Bass.”

They are eager and fun also.

[KFC911]

^^^^ Oh yeah.... I know all about them bass .... John Entwistle was my favorite .

I had a bass boat for over 25 years, but now stick to small ponds. I own one pond that is full of 'em in the 1-2 lb range and a few that are over 10.... landed my share . I release everything back and just love to be out in nature even if I don't catch anything.... I was good at that too !

Though fly fishing for trout in a stream is something I've never done... a 10lb bass (or just a 2lb) on a lightweight spinning reel is cool too!

Beats Disney any day

[Jeff Higgins]

Hmmm... fly fishing... something I fully intended to "get back to" once I retired. Five years ago.

I did, initially, "refresh" all of my gear. I replaced all of the dried out fly lines, leaders, and tippets occupying my Pflueger Medalist 1495 and its spare spools, and my Orvis Battenkill 7/8 and its spare spool. Dug out my old Fenwick FF857 8 1/2 foot 7 weight, went to my local fly shop and bought a bunch of nymphs, wet flies, and dry flies. Even some new felt bottomed wading shoes. I was ready...

Then I got on line and started researching, something I was unable to do when I gave it up over 25 years ago. Where to fly fish in my area? Close to home, no more than an hour drive, like I used to. I assumed all of my old haunts were still suitable, I just wanted current information.

Well, it turns out that fishing the rivers and streams within an hour of the Seattle metro area is kind of a non-starter these days. There are, essentially, no more fish. But there are the "forrest people". Apparently one cannot leave one's vehicle parked and beat the brush to the stream and any likely fishing hole without these "forrest people" ransacking one's vehicle. They take advantage of the fact that you are both out of sight and out of earshot. According to all of the local chat forums, this has become a real epidemic. Just not worth even trying, at least locally.

Which more or less dashed my plans - this was going to be a quick early morning, or late evening trip kind of thing, without having to make a big commitment and "go" somewhere. Maybe I'll still do that, go camping out on our Peninsula, east of the Cascade mountains, and that kind of thing. A lot more commitment, though. But I do have all of my gear ready...

[Bill Douglas]

Jeff, it sounds like a good excuse to go for a vacation. Maybe somewhere like New Zealand.

The place is packed with trout. River and lake fishing. Big trout and small.

And if it doesn't have to be trout, Australia has the Barramundi which (as you probably know) is a very feisty freshwater fish that is fantastic eating too.

Good idea?

[craigster59]

Originally Posted by Scott R

Why can't I find anyone to teach me fly fishing? Is it a dark art?

I've posted here before of my love for fly fishing. Working in a somewhat stressful environment, I have yet to find something that calms me down and makes me reassess what is important in life and what matters as fishing does.

With the pandemic shutdown I have found myself playing "catch up" lately and just haven't found the time to take a trip, heck I haven't even bought my license yet this year which is the first time in decades that I've gone this long.

Every now and then I like to watch this documentary, it brings me solitude and inner peace, right on my laptop. It follows Jim Prosek as he visits England, Ireland and Scotland, preparing for his Senior Thesis at Yale on Izaak Walton, 17th century writer of The Compleat Angler.

Great editing, cinematography and narration. 45 minutes of escape from this hectic world...

[upsscott]

No cutthroat in my neck of the woods. I've been catching a lot of brookies and an occasional brown lately using Tenkara. It's fun on small streams.

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[LWJ]

Upsscott where oh where is this? Gorgeous!

[KFC911]

Originally Posted by LWJ

Upsscott where oh where is this? Gorgeous!

You know he'd have to kill ya if'n he told ya doncha?

So where is it Scott ? Do you have to travel very far to get to your "slice of paradise"?

[upsscott]

Originally Posted by LWJ

Upsscott where oh where is this? Gorgeous!

This is in NorCal near Lake Almanor.

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[p911dad]

This pair was hanging near the edge of the trail along Fern Lake, in Estes Park, CO. We had a game warden join us for a discussion of Cutthroat trout.

[craigster59]

Originally Posted by upsscott

No cutthroat in my neck of the woods. I've been catching a lot of brookies and an occasional brown lately using Tenkara. It's fun on small streams.

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I've yet to try Tenkara. My buddy has a rod he brings along as a backup and small creek rod.

I've watched a few of this guy's videos. What kind of money did you spend on your setup?

[Superman]

Apparently, the upper St. Joe River in North Idaho is a fly fishing mecca. Above Prospector Creek, which is just past Avery. Catch-and-release only. No barbed hooks. Most of the vehicles have fishing rod racks mounted on the hoods of their cars with suction cups. Apparently, it's a BLAST. Below Prospector Creek you are allowed to keep one native Cutthroat per day, but it has to be at least 16".